Thread-guide.



A. A. MERRITT.

THREAD GUIDE. 4 APPLICATION FILED JAN.12, 1910. RENEWED AUG. 1, 1912.

Patented 001.15, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. AC MERRITT. v

THREAD GUIDE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.12, 1910. RENEWED we. 1, 1912.

1,041,655, Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

O 3 SHEETS-*SHEET 3.

December 12th, 1908, Serial N 0. 467,163, for

burrs s 'FTCE.

ARTHUR A.- MERRITT, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLGOX &GIBBS SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,-A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

THREAD-GUIDE.

Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Original application filed December 12, 1958, Serial No. 467,163.Divided and this application filed January 12, 1910, Serial No. 537,684.Renewed August 1, 1912. Serial No.

a new and useful Improvement in Thread- Guides, which invention is fullyset forth in the following specification.

This is a division of my application filed improvements in sewingmachines.

The present invention, which relates to improvements in thread-guidingmeans for sewing machines, will be readily understood by reference tothe illustrations in the accompanying drawings of what are atpresentregarded as preferred embodiments thereof.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a sewingmachine showi-ng the means of this invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 isan elevation of part of the machine looking from the left in Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 (Sheet 3)is a vertical sectional view through a part of the side wall of thework-arm, showing the thread passage therein and the lower end of theslide depending into said passage; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of part ofa machine having applied thereto the means of this invention embodied insomewhat different form than in Figs. 1%; Fig. 6 is a front elevation,with parts in section, of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 5; Fig.7 is a sec tional view on line 77 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8

is a side elevation of the thread-guiding means looking from the rightin Fig. 5, the contour: of the work-arm being indicated in dottedlines;Fig. 9is a transverse section on line 9 9 of Fig. 8; Fig. l0is ahorizontal section on line 10 10 of Fig. 9:; Fig. 11 is an elevation, ona large scale, of the thread-guiding slide; Fig. 12 is a. verticalsection of the same and associated parts of the machine on line 12-12 ofFig. 11; and Fig. 13 is a horizontal section on line 13-13 of Fig. 11. V

The drawings illustrate the thread-guiding means of this invention usedin conjuncent invention. The framework of the mach ne comprises twohollow standards, only one of which 40 is hollow bridge 42, preferablyformed. in one casting. A hollow work-arm extends forward from the upperend of the standard 40 in a horizontal part 50, and from the outer endof the latter a part 51 depends vertically. These parts 50 and 51 are,as shown, preferably a continuation or extension of the hollow standard40, being cast integral therewith and as a part of the single main shownin Figs. 14:, will first be described in detail. Four looper-threads areshown passing over a rotary take-up, under a guide-pin 172, Figs. 1 andt, and thence into the open inner end of a horizontal troughlikethread-way 173, between projections shown, connected bya 294 (Fig. 1) onthe bottom thereof. At its outer end said thread-way has a dependingportion forming a slide-way in which a bar or slide 295 is verticallymovable. The font looper threads extend through the thread way, andenter four parallel grooves extending across the upper end of slide 295and down the front face thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, in whichview the slide is shown in an elevated position to which it may beraised to facilitate the act of thread ing the machine when cover 74 isremoved.

With cover 74 ofi the threads take the positions indicated in dottedlines Fig. 2. A U-shaped spring 296 (Figs. 2 and 3) exerts friction uponthe sides of the slide 295, to

retain it in the position to which it is moved.

Fig, 4 shows the slide in its normal lowered position, its lower endprojecting through an opening 297 in the Wall of the part 51 of thework-arm into the end of a deep threadway-groove or channel 298, outinto the upper edge of one wall of the part 53 of the work-arm, andextending longitudinally of said arm. In this juxtapositioning of theslide 295 and thread-way 298 the four looper threads leave the lowerends of the thread-grooves in the slide 295 at .diil'erent heights,effected by terminating the lower ends of the walls between the groovesat 'diiferent elevations, and extend within said thread-way, as shown inFig. 1. -A removable cover 299 has a horizontal part for closing thethread-way 173 and a vertical part for covering the thread-grooves inslide 295. The cover is locked in position by curled over ends ofU-spring .296 (Fig. 3) engaging notches in the edge of the cover; the

arms of the spring may be readily spread apart to disengage them fromthese notches, thereby freeing the cover for removal. From the threadgroove 298, the four looper threads pass directly to thread-eyes on thelooper carrier, not shown.

Referring next to the construction illustrated in Figs. 513, the fourlooper-t-hreads enter the open inner end of the horizontal part of atrough-like thread-way 704:; from said horizontal portion thisthread-way continues forward in an inclined portion 705 and terminatesin a vertical part 706. The inclined portion is longitudinally groovedto form four parallel thread passages 707 into which the threads aredirected through four thread-guiding slots 708 in a block 709 secured byscrews 710 in a recess at the junction of the horizontal and inclinedparts of the thread-trough. The vertical end portion 706 of thethread-trough constitutes a slide-way in which a bar or slide 711 isvertically movable. T his. slide has four longitudinally-extendinggrooves 712 forming thread-passages .for guiding the threads from theends of the passages 707to threadeyes 713 through blocks 714 riveted tothe lower end of the slide 711 at difierent elevations, as clearly shownin Figs. 11 and 12. Slots 715, Fig. 12, permit the threads to be readilyintroduced into the thread-eyes 713. The ribs separating thethread-passages 712 are formed with curved shoulders 716 against whichupward pressure may be exerted by the finger of the operatorto elevatethe slide to its raised position in threading the mechanism. In itslowermost position the lower end of the slide depends into a passage-wayextending longitudinal of the wall of the horizontal part of thework-arm, as shown in Fig. 6, and as previously described with referenceto the slide 295 illustrated in previous figures of the drawings. Aspring-actuated catch pin 717, most clearly shown in Fig. 12, is adaptedto engage a countersunk recess 718 in the rear surface of the slide toretain the latter in its elevated osition. A groove 719 interceptingrecess 18 at one side acts in conjunction with the inclined bottom ofthe recess to force the another, and a catch. pin 717 back to itsinactive position when. downward pressure is exerted upon the slide 716.When the slide is elevated, the tapered point of the catch pin dropsinto the recess 718 and cooperates with the vertical portion of. thewall of said recess to prevent further upward movement of the slide.When, however, it is desired to remove the slide from the machine, thepoint of a suitable implement may be inserted through an opening 720,leading into the bottom of the recess 718, to force the catch pin 717back to a position to release the slide. Screws 721 and 722 pass throughbracket arms on the thread-guiding trough and into the wall of thework-arm to secure the trough in positiom .The thread passage throughthe horizontal part 704 of the trough is closed by a cover 7 23 havingalong one edge a slot 724 engaged by two hooks 725 which hinge the coverin place, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. In this construct-ion of thethread-trough, the threads are exposed to view in their longitudinalpassages in the inclined part 705 and the vertical slide 711, althoughin such position atthe bottom of these passages asnot to be susceptibleto entanglement, soiling, or handling by the operator during theoperation of the machine.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a sewing machine, the combination with athread-passage through which one or more threads pass from one part ofthe machine to another part thereof, ofa threadguide for said. threadsmovably mounted on the machine and adapted to be moved from a positionto direct the threads into the thread-passage to a position to withdrawthe threads from said passage.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with a thread-passage throughwhich one ormore threads pass from one part of the machine to anotherpart thereof, of a threadguiding slide movable in a bearing on themachine from a position to guide the threads into the thread-passage toa posi tion to withdraw the threads from said passage.

3. In a sewing machine, the'combination with athread-way through whichone or. more threads pass from one part of the machine to'another partthereof, of a threadguiding slide having one or more longitudinalthread-passages thereinfor directing 120 the thread or threads into saidthread-way, said slide being longitudinally slidable in a bearing on themachine to move its end into or withdraw it from its juxtaposition tosaid thread-way.

4:- In a sewing machine, the combination of a thread-way for guidingthread in its passage from one part'of the machine to thread-guidingslide movably mounted at one end of the thread-way and the machine toanother, said means includiifg aLti-ough-like thread-way, and a slide3'0 movabiy mounted at one end of said threadthread-guiding slidemovably mounted at .normal lowered position extending into an r malposition'fitending into an opening in .25

therein,

5. In a sewing machine having a workarm, means for guiding thread in itspassage from one part of the machine to operating parts associated withsaid Work-arm, said means including a thread-way and a one end of saidthread-way, said slide in its opening in,,said work-arm.

- 6.'In' a sewing machine having a workarm with an approximatelyhorizontal work-supporting portion at the free end thereof, means forguiding thread in its pas-' sage from one'part of the machine tooperating means'associated with said work-arm, said means including athread-way extending along said arm and'at its outer end terminatingabove said approximately hori zontal portion of the arm, and a thread-lguiding slide movably mounted at said outer end of the thread-way, saidslide in its norsaid'horiz'o nta portion of the work-arm. a sewingmachine, means for guiding one or more threads from one'part of Way" andhavingone or more longitudinally extending thread-passages' therein,said slide being adapted by its movement to move said threads into orout of said threadway. n

8. Insewing machine, means for guiding thread from one part of themachine to another, said means including a trough-like Wa a cover forclosing thesame, and a sli e movable hp and down at one end of saidthread-way and having one or more longitudinally extendingthread-passages 9, In a sewing machine,'means for guiding one or morethreads from one part of the machine to another, said means includ-Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents ing a trough-likethread-way, a slide movable up and down at one end of said threadway andhaving one or more longitudinally extending thread-passages therein; anda device for retaining the slide in its elevated position. 7

10. In a sewing irachine, the combination with a work-arm having anapproximately horizontal work-supporting portion provided with. 'alongitudinally-extending thread-passage, of. means for guiding one ormore threads into said passage, said means including an upwardly movablethread-guiding slide normally depending into said thread-passage.

11. In 'a sewing machine, the combination with a -workar1n having. anapproximately horizontal worksupporting portion provided -with alongitudinally-extending thI'ead-passage,fof means for guiding one ormore threads into said passage, said means including a trough-likethread-way,

and a thread-guiding slide extending from said thread-way and normallyprojecting into said threadpassag said slide being movable to carry thethread out of the thread-Way and passage in the work-arm.

12. In a sewing machine, means for guiding one or more threads from onepart of the machine to another, said means including a trough-likethread-way, a slide movably mounted at one end of said thread-way havingone or more longitudinally extending thread-passages therein, athread-passage into which the slide wheniin its normal position guidesthe thread or threads, and a holding device for retaining the slide inits withdrawn position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR A. ERRI TT.

Witnesses:

H. A. W. HAYWARD,

Barron V-. Monsn.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

